Adding Shane Victorino may provide Ben Cherington with added flexibility to go out and trade for a starting pitcher. AP

As it looks now, recently-signed Shane Victorino will start at right field for the Boston Red Sox on Opening Day. Victorino will be an above average fielder for the Red Sox in right. Combining him with Jacoby Ellsbury in center gives the Red Sox two players with exceptional range in the outfield.

The question is: How long will the Red Sox have both Ellsbury and Victorino?

No matter what happens, the Red Sox still need to address their starting pitching. That may or may not require parting with Jacoby Ellsbury, but even if it doesn't, Ellsbury is going to be a free agent next fall.

As a free agent, Ellsbury will command a large financial commitment.

Unless the Red Sox are determined to meet those demands, Ellsbury's time in Boston grows shorter every passing day.

Victorino's presence allows the Red Sox a degree of flexibility.

The Red Sox have Jackie Bradley, who finished last season at Double-A Portland and is thought to be the center fielder of the future. He has a very good bat, above-average plate discipline and blazing speed which serves him well on the bases and in the field.

Bradley might be major league ready as early as next summer, or he could take another year or so.

Having Victorino allows the Red Sox to deal Ellsbury, or lose him in free agency, and not immediately rush Bradley to the majors. Victorino can merely slide over to play center. Finding a viable right fielder is easier than finding an everyday center fielder.

None of this addresses the issue of pitching, particularly the starting pitching. General manager Ben Cherington has already noted the Red Sox are exploring different avenues of adding capable starters.

Boston is not done, not yet at least.

Adding Victorino has given Cherington more movable parts, but there is no rule he must move those parts this week or even this winter.

An outfield of Victorino, Ellsbury and Gomes would not pack the type of power one would normally associate with the American League. Then again, the American League hasn't won a World Series since 2009, so perhaps loading up on power is not the perfect blueprint for success.

The National League has been handing it to the American League as of late.

NL teams have featured deeper bullpens, less power and more speed.

Is Cherington looking at the San Francisco Giants teams of 2010 and 2012, both of which won the World Series, as he rebuilds the Red Sox?

If he is, he's still missing one very important part of that equation:

The starting pitching.

Maybe Victorino is not going to provide the impetus for the Red Sox to trade Ellsbury in an attempt to add a decent starting pitcher. If that's the case, Boston still needs a solution in its rotation. .

On Thursday, the Minnesota Twins provided an example of what a talented, young center fielder can fetch on the trade market.

According to an MLB.com report, the Twins sent young, fast, and inexpensive outfielder Ben Revere to the Phiadelphia Phillies. In return the Twins received one current major league starter in Vance Worley and one potentially very good future one in Trevor May.

Cherington doesn't have a chip like Revere. Ellsbury is a better baseball player, but he's already somewhat expensive and with free agency looming is only assured of staying with a team for one more year.

Bradley has the potential to be better than Revere, but he has yet to advance past the Double-A level.

Red Sox fans would probably balk at the thought of dealing Bradley, who is considered a future home-grown star. Having a minor league system that provides the big league club with talented players is very important.

Starting pitching is more important, though.

No matter how much talent the Red Sox have in their minor league system, if they hope to compete next season they're going to need to add some big league talent.

With the free agent pitching market thin and overpriced, the Red Sox are going to have to find a creative way to acquire pitching talent, even if it means trading some talented young minor leaguers.